Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Winter Bird

Okay, my horticulturalites, what are these berries? Should I eat them? Should Boz?

They put me in mind of grade school. I liked school all right, especially drama, art, reading and French. But in other subjects my mind often wandered and I watched Cedar Waxwings outside the classroom window. There must have been berries like these growing there. Otherwise why would berries in the Arroyo Seco make me think of Cedar Waxwings and grade school in Illinois?

The holidays tend to make me nostalgic. Maybe that's all it is.

I looked up Cedar Waxwings online. I thought I remembered them snatching those red berries from snowy branches. But that's unlikely. Cedar Waxwings are rarely spotted in northern Illinois in winter, except perhaps in memory.

Don't know what kind of berries they are, but I like how you positioned them in front of that brown so they stand out in the photo. I'll bet Boz would rather have some nice doggie kibble with gravy.Hope you and your loved ones have a great holiday!

It is definitely Toyon, a native Southern California plant and just gorgeous around this time of year. Native Americans used the berries as a food source--they're edible, they just may not taste very good when raw.